Amulet of Janus
by CO Cheddar
Summary: Hello! This is the sequel to 'Janus'! After defeating Janus, Rayman thought the fighting was over. Unfortunately, he was wrong. Rated for Violence and Thematic Elements. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: Orion's Revenge

AN- Here it is, part 2! If you're wondering why I took so long to update, I have 3 words for you; Advance Wars 2. Anyway, here it is!

Chapter 2: Orion's Revenge

It had been three days since Rayman had left the Fairy Glade. He had traveled through the forest, heading towards the sea to where the gypsy camp was. He had visited the camp many times since he had met Orchid, and he dropped by every few weeks ago just to see her. During his present trip, Rayman was practicing what he would say when he saw her. 

"Hi, Orchid!" He said. "I picked these flowers for you. I didn't know what kind you like so I got you these Orchids because, well, you're named after them and…" 

Rayman sat down for a while. "Confidence!" Rayman muttered to himself. "I need to be confident when I speak to her." 

He then stood up and walked farther. "Oh, hello Orchid! You remember me, right? I brought you these flowers as a gif…"

Rayman could not finish his sentence. He saw the gypsy camp before his very eyes, but it was not what he had expected. The camp was in a state of disorder, looking like it had been attacked. Flames blazed among several tents, resisting the efforts of gypsies to put them out. Several dead and injured gypsies lay still as others frantically ran to pick them up. Despite all of this, Rayman could only think of one thing.

"Orchid!" He yelled. "Orchid! Where are you?" 

Suddenly, he saw a familiar form huddled up by a burning tent. Rayman rushed over to it, noticing that it had a beard and a note clutched in one hand. 

"Simon!" Rayman yelled. "Simon, are you okay?"

Simon didn't respond. Rayman, getting desperate, reached into a pouch by his side and pulled out a red lum. He placed the Lum on Simon's chest and watched as it began to disappear. Soon, Simon began to stir.

"Orchid? Where are… stay away from her…"

"Simon! You're alive!" Tears of relief were rushing to Rayman's eyes. 

"Rayman?" The old man mumbled, still partially unconscious. "That you? You're a little late, Rayman."

"Simon, what happened here?" Rayman asked. "Where's Orchid?"

"A large, brown man burst into the camp. He picked up some kind of amulet and used it to set fire to this camp. He came over to where I was next. I tried to stop him, but he knocked me away. He left this note…" 

Simon then fell unconscious again. Rayman picked the note from his hand and began to read. What he saw filled him with horror.

Rai' Muana __

The girl is with us now. If you ever wish to see her alive again, come to Grimspire Keep.

Janus

*******

  
"What is… where am I?" Orchid mumbled. She couldn't remember anything that had happened ever since the large man came into the camp. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring into the face of her attacker.

"Awake!" He said, a sinister grin appearing on his face. "You're awake, I see!"

"Who are…" She mumbled. Suddenly, she remembered that she had seen a face like his before. "You… you're Orion!"

"You remember me!" He laughed. "That's good."

"Where are you taking me?" She yelled, finally coming to her senses. 

"The Badlands!" Orion said. "We're taking a little trip to Grimspire Keep. Won't that be fun?"

"But why?" She asked. "What are you doing this for?" 

"Let me explain." He explained. "I kidnap you. Your friend Rayman follows me. Then, when he catches up to us…" He ran a hand across his throat. 

This threat silenced Orchid. Finally, Orion stopped at a sandy beach. He took out a leather whistle from his belt and blew it for a few seconds. Finally, he put it away.

"What did you…" Orchid couldn't finish her question. A gigantic creature suddenly surged forth from the water. It looked like a giant squid except for the hundreds of tentacles it seemed to possess and its blood red eye. It stared at them for a while before Orion whistled again. The creature bent down to let them climb aboard. 

"The Kraken will take us to the Badlands." Orion explained. "Now, get on!" Orion pushed the frightened girl onto the Kraken before mounting the beast himself. Then, with a loud snort, the Kraken disappeared into the briny seas in a mist of seafoam.

*******

Ly was surprised the next time she saw Rayman. Her friend stumbled into Ly's home, carrying the old gypsy Simon on his back. 

"Rayman," Ly asked, shocked, "what's the matter? You look terrible!" 

"He's back, Ly." Rayman said, handing her a letter. "Janus is back!" 

After reading the letter, Ly's face turned ashen in color. "This… this can't be possible! You destroyed Janus yourself!" 

"Not according to this." Rayman sighed. "The letter says to go to a place called Grimspire Keep. Problem is, I don't know where that is!"

"Grimspire Keep…" Ly muttered. "Wait. I think I know what you're talking about!" Reaching to a bookshelf, she pulled out a gigantic atlas. 

"Aha!" Ly shouted, evidently pleased with herself. "Grimspire Keep is located on a continent in our world known as the Badlands. The Badlands are a desolate place, full of swamps, deserts, volcanoes, tar pits, and other unpleasant places. The place known as Grimspire Keep is a rocky fortress that is said to be the birthplace of Janus." 

"That's great, Ly!" Rayman said, excitedly. "But how do I get to the Badlands from here?" 

Ly thought for a few minutes before she blurted out the answer. "Carmen!" Ly yelled. "Carmen can help us!" 

"Great!" Rayman yelled. "Well, I have to go, Ly. Goodbye!"

"You're not going yet, Rayman." 

Rayman turned around. "What do you mean, Simon?" 

Simon had managed to stand up and was walking towards Rayman. "I'm going with you. I have to rescue my daughter."

"But you're hurt!" Rayman protested. "Are you sure you can travel after what happened?"

"I'm as fit to travel as you are, Rayman." The old man told him. 

"Well, alright." Rayman shrugged. "You can come along too." Saying this, he and Simon left the house.

"I hope they don't get hurt." Ly sighed. "Good luck, Rayman! Good luck, Simon!"


	2. Chapter 1: Eye of the Storm

AN- Well, I decided to get off my lazy butt and work on a sequel to "Janus". Remember, Ubi Soft owns Rayman, not me. Without further ado…

Chapter 1- Evil Reawakened

Once, the world was threatened by a great evil, sealed away long ago. This evil being, Janus, arose from his prison in the Cave of Bad Dreams, seeking revenge upon the Rai' Muana, the Great Hero who had defeated him. The Rai' Muana fought heroically, but he was no match for Janus' might. The Dark One battered him within an inch of his life, and sent him to a far away place, where he would never bother his plans again. The world seemed to be engulfed by darkness…

Then, the Rai' Muana returned. Wielding the staff of his order and riding a great eagle, he fought Janus and finally defeated the Dark One. He then destroyed its body so it could never again harm the world that he loved so much. But his work was not yet complete; for it was written that as long as the amulet of the Dark One remained, he would never die…

*******

Orion laughed as he held the amulet in his hands. Janus' amulet was his now! As he was thinking of what he would do to get revenge on the one who had beaten him, he heard a voice in his head. 

"Orion." It said. "Orion, do you hear me?"

"My… my lord?" Orion asked, scarcely able to believe what he had heard. 

"Yes, Orion." The voice of Janus said. "Orion, things have taken a turn for the worse. My physical body has been destroyed, although I live on in this prison of a pendant. But this changes nothing, Orion.

"You see, Orion, I know that you seek revenge on the Rai' Muana for what he has done to you. I also seek revenge against him for trapping me. We may not have enough power to avenge ourselves now, but in time…"

Orion began to laugh maniacally. "Revenge! Yes… First I'll skin him alive, and then…"

"But we aren't strong enough yet, Orion." Janus said. "We must first go to Grimspire Keep so I can be reborn. Then… then he will suffer like I have; slowly and painfully."

"Yes, my lord." Orion said. "But where is Grimspire Keep?" 

"I will guide you there." Janus told him. "And Orion… do you remember the girl?"

"Girl?" Orion asked. "Who do you mean, my lord?"

"The girl who was in love with the Rai' Muana."

"Yes, I think I…" A smile lit up Orion's cruel face at the thought of what his master would say. 

"Kidnap her, Orion. Do whatever you need to kidnap her. Then, he will follow us to the Keep. If he doesn't die in the Badlands…"

"We kill him!" Orion finished. 

"Correct, Orion." Janus said. "Now, find the girl!" At that, Orion placed the amulet around his neck and set off through the forest on his mission of revenge.

*******

It was a nice day in the Fairy Glade, Rayman thought. It was warm, but not stuffy and hot. He drank a glass of lemonade while he watched several of Globox's kids use their father's rotund stomach as a trampoline. The thought of Globox as a trampoline made Rayman smile. He was glad he came to Globox's picnic. 

"Unkie Wayman!" One of Globox's kids said, appearing out of nowhere. "Do you wanna pway ball wif us?"

"Well, I don't know." He replied. "Uncle Rayman is busy right now." 

"Pweeeeeeeeeeeeze?" The kids asked, doing their best to look absolutely pathetic.

"Kids, leave Rayman alone!" Globox's wife Uglette said, scattering her children. "Oh Rayman, I'm sorry they were bothering you! I just can't keep them quiet and out of trouble!" 

"That's alright, Uglette." Rayman said. "Well, I've enjoyed your picnic, but I have to be off." He slowly rose from the ground, making sure to hide the object behind his back.

"Oh, that's a shame!" Uglette said. "Why don't you tell my lazy husband that you'll be off?" 

"Alright." Rayman said. "Globox!" 

Globox had stopped his kids' game so he could talk to his friend. "What is it, Rayman?"

"Globox, I have to go." Rayman told him. "I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind," Globox said, "but why are you leaving so soon?"

"And what's that thing behind your back, Rayman?" Another one of his friends, Murfy the Greenbottle, asked him.

"This?" Rayman asked nervously. "It's nothing. It's just… a gift for a friend."

"Ooh!" Murfy said, sneaking a peak behind his back. "Rayman's bringing his 'friend' some flowers!" 

"So?" Rayman said, blushing. "What's wrong with that? My friend just likes flowers!" 

"They look like Orchids to me." Murfy said with a mischievous grin on his face. "Now who would you be bringing those for?"

Before Rayman could answer, Murfy was silenced by a stern glare from Ly the fairy. "Murfy! Shame on you for embarrassing your friend like that! Why does it matter who he's bringing those for?" 

"Okay, okay…" Murfy said.

Ly smiled at Rayman. "You don't pay any attention to Murfy, Rayman. You just go deliver your flowers." 

"Thanks Ly!" Rayman said, glaring at Murfy. "Well, I'm off! Bye guys!" 

As Rayman disappeared from view, Murfy couldn't resist another comment. "Whoa! Looks like Rayman and that girl have somethin' going on!" 

"And what does it matter if they do?" Ly asked. "It's good for Rayman to find a nice girl and settle down." 

This was a statement they could all agree with. A short time after Rayman had left, the picnic had resumed with no one giving Rayman's leaving another thought. 


	3. Chapter 3: Departure and Adventure

AN- Hello! Ready for Chapter 3? Remember that I don't own the Rayman series or any characters here except Janus, Orchid, Orion and Simon. 

Chapter 3: Departure and Adventure

It was a bright day in Clearleaf Forest. The thick canopy of trees was sufficient to keep the sun from bearing down on the creatures below, which were currently relaxing. Two creatures in the forest, however, were not relaxing. Rayman and Simon, after walking for about an hour, decided to sit down and take a break.

"Whew!" Rayman said, wiping beads of sweat from his face. "We've been walking for a while!"

Simon nodded slowly. "You're still upset about her, aren't you?" Rayman asked, noticing Simon's sad face.

He nodded again. "Rayman, you wouldn't understand." He sighed. "Ever since her mother died she was the only thing I had. I love her more than life itself; I would die for her if I had to! And now that she's gone…" 

At that the old man burst into tears. "Don't worry, Simon." Rayman said, patting his friend on the back. "Go ahead and cry."

Simon wiped his eyes, and his expression became hard. "Rayman, when we meet up with whoever took my daughter, leave him to me."

Rayman shook his head. "You don't want revenge, Simon."

"Yes, I do." He replied fiercely. "You wouldn't understand, Rayman! He took my daughter away from me! What would you do if someone abducted your daughter?" 

"I'd go after them," Rayman sighed, "but I wouldn't seek revenge. Simon, your grief is blinding you to reality; you don't know how horrible it is to kill someone. Just let your grief subside; you know that it's the right thing to do." 

Simon sighed. "You're right, Rayman, as always. I'm… I'm sorry." 

"That's alright." Rayman said comfortingly. "Now lets get going! We're very close to Whale Bay!" 

Simon stretched as he got up. "It kind of hurts to get up after you've been sitting for so long. Don't you agree?" 

But Rayman wasn't listening. "Simon," he whispered, "we're being followed." Rayman motioned for his friend to lie down in the nearby foliage and listen. The sound of footsteps got closer and closer as the stranger got closer and closer. Rayman prepared himself for what would happen by charging energy into his fists, but stopped in shock after hearing a voice.

"Rayman, cut that out!" It said. "You know I'm not an enemy!" 

Rayman could hardly believe his ears. "Ly?" He asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"Coming with you, of course." Ly said. She was carrying a knapsack on her shoulders and a map in her left hand. "After you had left I began to worry if you two could really go on this trip alone. So… here I am!" 

"Well, thank you Ly." Rayman told her. "But you know how dangerous Janus is! Are you sure you'll be alright?" 

"Rayman," Ly sniffed in indignation, "you know how powerful my magic is. Also, I remember a certain fairy who helped you a lot in your war against Captain Razorbeard." 

"Well, you're right." Rayman admitted sheepishly. "But are you sure that you…"

"Yes." Ly said firmly. 

Rayman knew that there was no more room for discussion. "Alright." He told her. "You can come along." 

"That's good." Ly smiled. "Now, lets go! We aren't getting any closer standing here!" With that, the three friends walked off in the direction of Whale Bay.

*******

After about half an hour of walking, the friends came upon a beach. The sands of the beach sparkled in the sun, which had since gone down a little. Palm trees dotted the landscape of the beach, and crystalline waters lay on the horizon. 

"Whale Bay." Rayman said, looking wistfully at the ocean. "It's such a lovely place." 

"I'll second that." Ly said. "I love going to a beach to relax."

"Now that we're here," Simon asked, "where are we supposed to go?" 

Rayman didn't reply. Instead, he took a large conch shell out of a pouch he was carrying. Placing the conch to his lips, he blew a low, mournful tune through the shell. After he had played his tune, the whole area became silent. Suddenly, a wave broke the surface as a large whale emerged from the water. It looked at Rayman through its kind blue eyes before speaking in a deep, but kind, voice. 

"Greetings, Rayman." It said. "How are you this fine afternoon?"

"I'm fine, Carmen." Rayman replied. "But I need to ask you for a favor."

"A favor?" Carmen asked. "Of course, my friend! Anything for you!" 

"Thanks, Carmen!" Rayman said, smiling with gratitude. "One of my friends was kidnapped and I need your help in rescuing her." 

"Oh!" Carmen smiled. "You need me to carry you somewhere! Where do you need to go, Rayman?"

"I need to go to the Badlands." Rayman told her. "Do you know where that is, Carmen?"

Carmen's kind face suddenly turned grave. "Yes, I know where that is." She told him. "But do you know just how dangerous the Badlands are, Rayman?"

"I do." He nodded. "But I need to save my friend. I can't just leave her to die; it's not my way." 

Carmen was impressed by Rayman's devotion. "Alright, Rayman. I'll do anything for a friend. Hop on my back!"

Rayman climbed onto his friend's back, followed by a nervous Ly and Simon. Then, Rayman reached into his pouch and took out a hardwood staff. Raising it above his head, Rayman mumbled a few words. The Lum Crystal on the end of the staff suddenly began to glow as a thin barrier began to surround the friends.

"I created an oxygen shield." Rayman explained. "That way we'll be able to breathe underwater. Ready, Carmen?"

"Ready!" The whale told him. Saying this, Carmen began to swim slowly into the deeper water. Soon, the friends were underwater. 

*******

Rayman stared in amazement as Carmen went deeper and deeper; he had never been this deep before. Coral shimmered vibrantly among the water as brightly colored fish swam by. The wooden skeleton of a ship was also visible, tempting the friends with the promise of riches.

"This is amazing, Carmen!" Rayman said. 

"The bottom of the ocean is a wonderful place, Rayman." She replied happily. "I remember when I was but a cub; we always used to play in an old galleon. Of course, I'm much too big for that now, but…"

"Shh!" Rayman said, silencing his friend. "Did you hear anything?" 

"No… I didn't hear anything, Rayman." Carmen replied.

"Wait, Rayman's right." Simon said. "I heard some kind of noise… and it's getting closer!"

Rayman turned around and gasped. Standing in front of him was a gigantic, horrifying creature. The creature before them was large and grayish-blue, with hundreds of tentacles hanging around its mouth. The creature stared malevolently at the friends from a red eye before charging at them.

"Carmen," Rayman asked, "what is that thing?"

"It can't be…" Carmen muttered. "It's… it's a Kraken!" 

"A Kraken?" Rayman asked. "What's…" 

Before Rayman could say anything else, however, the Kraken rammed into Carmen, sending the whale skidding through the water. Crimson drops of blood flowed form the area where the Kraken hit her. 

"We can't outrun that thing, Rayman!" Carmen yelled. "What are we going to do?" 

"The only thing we can do." Rayman said, pulling out his staff. "Fight that thing."

"But Rayman," Carmen protested, "that's suicide! The Kraken could crush us all with ease!" 

"Just keep running away." Rayman said. "Leave the fighting to me." Saying this, Rayman turned towards the monster. "Okay big guy, want to fight?" The Kraken roared at him. 

"Alright." Rayman grimaced. "Don't tell me I didn't warn you…" Saying that, the Lum Crystal at the end of Rayman's staff began to glow. Suddenly, a bolt of golden light erupted from his staff, striking the Kraken in its chest. The best roared, lashing out at the whale with its tentacles. Carmen managed to dodge the thrashing tentacles as Rayman fired another bolt, hitting the Kraken in the eye this time. The Kraken roared in pain; Rayman had apparently blinded the beast. Roaring, it charged the whale again, battering it with its tentacles. 

"You were right, Carmen." Rayman sighed as the whale reeled at the force of the blow. "We're doomed…"

"Wait!" Ly yelled. "Sharks!" 

She was right; ominous gray fins began to slice through the water. The sharks themselves were a ghastly sight; the gray creatures' eyes gleamed as they stared at the injured whale. Rayman shuddered at the sight of the sharks' rows of serrated teeth.

"Come on!" Rayman yelled. "You want to mess with us?" He shot more bolts of light at the sharks, driving away any whom managed to get too close. Finally, the sharks seemed tired of chasing Carmen, and went towards a less troublesome meal; the Kraken.

The wounded Kraken began to flail at the sharks as they got close, but there were too many of them. Rayman watched in horror as the sharks struck violently at the Kraken. Rayman covered his friends' eyes as the sharks finally overwhelmed the creature and dragged it off to the bottom of the sea.

"That's the law of the oceans, Rayman." Carmen told them gently. "Eat or be eaten. And remember, the Kraken was trying to kill us." 

"I know." Rayman said. "It's just…"

"Disturbing." Ly finished for him

"I know, but we're safe and that's what matters." Carmen said. "Try to take a rest from all that fighting, Rayman; we're almost there."

Indeed, the whale had already begun to pull up. As Carmen surfaced, Rayman began to feel a bit lightheaded. Finally, they had broken the surface and were staring at a strange mass of land.

"There it is, my friends." Carmen told them.

Rayman gasped. The land before them was bordered by spires of rock. The rotting skeletons of ships hung around the surface, staring towards the destinations they would never reach. The hot sun beat down on the land, heating the sands of a dismal beach. 

"Welcome," Carmen told them, "to the Badlands."


	4. Chapter 4: The Phantoms

AN- Heh heh heh! I'm back, and here's Chapter 4! Like always, I only own Janus, Orion and Orchid. Well, here it is…

Chapter 4: The Phantoms 

Orion was having a difficult time crossing the Desert of the Phantoms. He felt like one big ache; his unprotected arms, legs and were being cut by the desert sandstorms, and the sands beneath his feet were burning. He turned to glare at the sun, needing a reprieve from the intense heat that threatened to burn him. And most importantly, Orion needed water to quench the thirst that had welled up inside of him.

"Water…" He muttered. "Need water!" Saying this, Orion pulled a canteen from his belt and poured the contents into his mouth. He continued to guzzle the water until all that came out was a drop.

"Great," Orion muttered, shifting the limp form of Orchid onto his right shoulder, "no more water". The girl had succumbed to the heat a while ago and fell unconscious. This suited Orion, as he didn't have to listen to her condemnation of his actions and threats of what Rayman would do to him.

Suddenly, Orion began to hear soft footsteps and a strange hissing sound. "What in the…" He muttered as it got louder and louder. Turning around, Orion found himself surrounded by strange creatures. They were all humanoid in shape, with pale skin and pale blue eyes. Each of them wore a long, brown cloak and carried a pair of throwing knives around its waist. 

"Outsider…" They hissed. "Outsider…"

As Orion watched, the creatures began to move closer and closer to him. As he began to reach for his sword, one of the creatures stepped away from the others and approached Orion. This one, unlike the others, wore a cloak embroidered with gold thread. It also carried a knife that seemed to be carved skillfully from a blue crystal and wore a gem-encrusted golden bracelet on its right arm. Orion and the creature stared into each others eyes for a moment, trying not to blink.

Finally, the creature before him began to speak. "Who are you, outsider, and what are you doing in the sacred lands of the Phantoms?" It asked in a quiet voice laced with deadly calm.

"My name is not important." Orion replied. "But what is important is this bag of gold I have." So saying, Orion produced a bag of gold and held it in front of the speaker's eyes.

The Phantom stared greedily at the gold. "I'm sorry, my friend." He said, smiling. "I apologize if we have given you the wrong impression. Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Yes." Orion said, nodding. "There are a group of outsiders who are bothering me. Their leader looks is a young man with no arms or legs, but he is very skilled at fighting. I'd like it if you… made them disappear."

The Phantom smiled again. "Of course. I swear that I, Tos'kio, will do whatever I can to help you." 

"And one more thing." Orion said as the Phantoms began to depart. "Do what you will to his friends, but bring the limbless one back to me. Alive."

*******

"Cheerful place." Rayman muttered as he looked around at the black rocks that rose above the shore and the bleached skeletons that lined the beach.

"Sailor call this place Dead Man's Cove, for obvious reasons." Carmen remarked. "There aren't a lot of ships that have been able to avoid those rocks. Of course, we whales don't need to worry because we are so skilled at swimming."

"That's what I like about you, Carmen; you're so modest." Rayman joked. "Anyway, we have to go. I need to find Orchid before anything happens to her!" Simon silently nodded in agreement. 

"Don't go through the Desert before you blindly now, Rayman." Carmen warned her friend. "The elements aren't the only things you need to protect against. Beware the Phantoms. Well, I must be off. Goodbye, Rayman!" At that, Carmen swam off before her friend could ask her anything else.

"Phantoms?" Rayman asked as he trudged through the hot sand. "What are those Phantoms that Carmen talked about?"

"No idea." Simon said, shaking his head. "Whatever they are, though, they don't exactly sound friendly the way Carmen was talking."

"I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't, Rayman." Ly replied. "A lot of things have seemed a bit unfriendly lately."

As they continued talking, Rayman began to observe his surroundings with worry. To every side of him lay a billowing carpet of sand that seemed to stretch on to infinity. The sun above him seemed to glare its malice at Rayman and his friends as they trudged through the burning sands, battering them with intense heat. Cacti flourished in the desert, standing tall despite the overwhelming heat. Perched on some of the cacti were vultures, some staring hungrily at the three friends and some picking the meat from the skeletons of other creatures.

"Wait," Simon said, taking out a knife from his belt as they approached a patch of cacti. Before Rayman could ask what was going on, Simon went over to one of the cacti and cut a hole in it with the knife. Suddenly, liquid began to flow from the hole in the cactus.

"Water!" Rayman gasped as he and Ly ran over to the cactus. He cupped his hands to collect whatever water fell his way and drank greedily. After he had satisfied his thirst, he placed his feet in the wet sand, sighing happily as they began to cool.

"Thank you, Simon!" Rayman said, noticing that his friends were behaving exactly like he had. "I don't know how long I could've gone on if it weren't for that water." 

"Don't mention it, Rayman." Simon replied. "My father told me about the ability of cacti to hold in rainwater when I was just a little boy. We did that a lot in some of the less habitable places we went to."

"Well," Ly remarked, "now that we're all refreshed we should try to find our way around. I have no idea where we're going or which way we came."

"Same here." Rayman muttered. "All I can see is a bunch of sand dunes and cacti spreading off in every direction." 

"But we can't just stay here." Simon said, entering the conversation. "We need to find our way out of here somehow."

As they arose, Rayman heard a strange whistling noise. "What's tha…"

Any other comment was cut short by the knife that came whirling into Rayman's chest. 

"Rayman!" Ly yelled, staring in horror at her friend. As she watched, a group of strange creatures came walking through the desert towards the friends. They had strange, pale skin and wore brown cloaks. All of them carried a pair of throwing knives except for one, who grinned as he looked at the knife in Rayman's chest

"Well, if it isn't the group of Outsiders that we were told to take care of." The creature that threw the knife said. "This should be fun." At that, he raised his hand to throw his second knife at Ly. Before he could throw it, however, a bolt of light struck him in the chest. Rayman rose from the ground, staff in hand, and tried to give a fearless grin despite the pain that flooded his body. 

"Cmon! Anyone else…" At that, he collapsed. 

"He can't fight right now," Ly muttered darkly, "but I can! Anyone want to try me?"

One of the creatures grinned, cocking his knife back jauntily for a throw. Ly held out her hand, glaring at the creature as a ball of energy began to form in her hand. The creature stared at it and ran away, but he was too late. Ly's energy sphere struck him in the back, knocking him unconscious. As the creatures watched in horror, Ly began to create more spheres. Two more were struck by Ly's energies, and the rest ran away.

Ly then went over to Rayman and began to form a Lum in her hands. She placed it on top of Rayman and watched as it dissolved, filling her friend with energy. She grinned at her friend, but suddenly gasped in horror. One of the creatures had placed a knife to the fairy's throat.

"One wrong movement," he said, grinning, "and she dies!" Suddenly, he gasped and fell to the ground with a knife in his back. The friends watched a figure emerged from the sandstorm. He looked like the creatures that had attacked them, except that he had a red cloak instead of a blue one, and was even paler than the rest. When he reached the body of the slain creature, he reached to pull his knife out of its back. He raised a lazy eye at the friends as he cleaned the knife on his shirt. 

"In a bit of a tight spot, eh?" He said in a calm, slightly cynical voice. "It's good that I came here in time. Don't you think, Rayman?" 


	5. Chapter 5: Diego

AN: Here we go, Chapter 5! I don't own Rayman and all of you know that by now. The only chars I own are Orchid, Janus, Orion and Diego. Well, here it is…

Chapter 5: Diego 

"Where am I" 

Orchid felt like she was floating in a sea of nothingness. She could see nothing, feel nothing. Suddenly, she saw a familiar figure; the form of Rayman was standing before her, beaming down at her. 

"Rayman!" She yelled, running to embrace her friend. But when she got to him, his form vanished through her arms like mist. In his place, she saw a strange, gaunt figure sneering at her. 

"Hello, Orchid." It told her. "Do you remember me?" 

She stared at it for a long time before she could stutter a reply. "You… you're Janus! But… but how…"

"There is much you don't know, girl." The figure of Janus told her. "My body was destroyed, but I live on, formless and etheral. The only reason you see me like I appear is because this is how you know me. My true form would be impossible for you to comprehend." 

"Why am I here?" She yelled. "Why are you doing this to me?" 

Janus said nothing. Instead, he merely waved his left hand. Traces of mist swirled from his hand, finally alighting and forming into a duplicate of Rayman.

"He is the reason you are here. You see, girl, I had the world in my grasp. I was going to lead this world into a new age… but then he destroyed me. Trapped inside the amulet I wore, I could feel nothing but my pain and hatred of the Rai' Muana for what he had done. And this, my girl…" 

Once again, Janus waved his hand. The mist figure suddenly swirled and changed into a duplicate of Orchid, screaming in terror. "…This is where you come in." 

"Leave me alone!" Orchid screamed, pushing the figure in front of her away and turning to run. But all she saw, in every direction she turned to, was Janus.

"He loves you, Orchid." The voice of Janus said, echoing through the strange world. "You know this as well as I do. He loves you and would do anything to save you. With you gone, he has no other choice but to search for you. And eventually, he will find me. And there…"

"He'll destroy you for good." Orchid spat at the mocking figure in front of her.

"The Rai' Muana will come to the Keep. He will then join me… or die. And now, girl, it is time for me to depart." The figure of Janus disappeared before Orchid's eyes, still laughing cruelly all the while. Orchid, faced with Janus' taunts, turned away and cried into what appeared to be eternity.

*******

Rayman, having removed the knife that was thrown at him, was burning with questions to ask the man before him. "Who are you? How did you know my name? Why did you rescue us? What were those things?" He asked rapidly.

"Hold on, kid." He replied. "First of all, I had been following you and your friends shortly after you entered this desert, so I heard every word you and your friends said. Not a very hard time, I must say, since you and the old man left such clear tracks. And secondly, my people, whom you have termed 'those things', are a race known as the Phantoms."

Rayman flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry about that." He said apologetically. "But who are you? And why did you help us?" 

"You can call me Diego." The Phantom said curtly. "The reason I rescued you was because I… have a bit of a grudge against them. Now, why don't you tell me a little about yourselves?"

"Well, thanks for rescuing us, Diego." Rayman said gratefully. "Anyway, the fairy's name is Ly, and this old man is named Simon. We're traveling through this desert so we could find a friend of ours named Orchid. She looks a lot like me, with long brown hair, lovely blue eyes, a gorgeous smile, pearly white teeth...." Rayman's face turned a shade of red at a snicker Diego gave, but he continued. "Have you… have you heard anything about her?"

Diego looked calmly at the three friends. "I might have."

"Please, tell us anything you know!" Simon begged him. "Orchid is my daughter, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to her."

"Well, since you insist." Diego muttered lazily. "I saw a large, brown man carrying a girl that looked like her that way." Diego pointed in the direction with his knife. "But if you want my help… there are a few conditions that you'll need to agree to." 

"What are they?" Simon asked. "I'm sure Rayman will agree to anything within the boundaries of reason." 

"Food, water, and a safe place to rest." Diego said. "That's all I'm asking for. Do we have a deal?" 

"It's a deal." Rayman replied, shaking Diego's outstretched hand. "One question, though; what do you have against those other Phantoms."

Rayman immediately regretted asking the question upon seeing the pained look on Diego's face. He quickly resumed his composure before responding. "Personal reasons. Now let's go find your friend." At that, Diego set off to the west with the friends behind him. As they went through the desert, Diego told them some things about the Phantoms.

"We're not going to be walking through the desert the whole way, you understand." He said. "We're going to take a bit of a shortcut through the Catacombs."

"Catacombs?" Rayman asked. "What are those?"

"Let me explain." Diego said. "My people have a knack for exploration. We've been searching the whole of this continent for resources necessary to survival like wood, food and water; those things don't come naturally in a desert, you understand. Thus, we created a series of Catacombs to almost every place on the continent."

Ly wasn't listening. She was focusing, instead, on a glimmer of gold that seemed to be visible whenever Diego moved his left arm. 

"Excuse me, Diego," Ly said politely, "but what's that on your arm?" 

"What are you talking about?" Diego asked, trying to hide the golden object behind his back. 

"That." Ly replied, pointing to a golden bracelet on his arm. "Can I see it?"

"Well… alright." Diego sighed, extending his left arm. Ly stared at it in awe. The bracelet was carved out of solid gold and engraved with emeralds and other precious gems. A few strange symbols were engraved on the backside of the bracelet in a language Ly couldn't understand.

"It's beautiful." She said in awe. "How did you get that, Diego?" 

"I… just have it, that's all." He replied sheepishly. For the second time the friends had known him, Diego adopted a pained expression and furrowed his brow. "Look, can we stop talking about my personal life?"

"Sorry." Ly said. 

"How much farther, Diego?" Rayman asked, trying to liven up the mood.

"See that cactus over there?" Diego said, pointing to a cactus with his knife. "Come a little closer."

As the friends approached the cactus, they noticed a few odd things about it. While the other cacti were green, the one before them was an odd shade of gray. A slit was also strangely visible in the base of the Cactus.

"We created these stone cacti to mark the entrances to our Catacombs." Diego explained. "Now watch."

Saying this, Diego slid his knife blade into the slit in the cactus. He then turned the knife handle, making the slit turn as well. Suddenly, something strange happened. The cactus began to move slowly backwards, revealing a stairwell. 

"Here they are." the Phantom said. "The Catacombs await."


	6. Chapter 6: The Catacombs

Chapter 6: The Catacombs

The cool air of the Catacombs was refreshing to the friends after the scorching heat of the desert. Descending from the steps, Rayman marveled at the craftsmanship of the Catacombs; the walls of the Catacombs were made of blue Limestone with bits of crystal sticking out and providing light for the friends to see. Diego sighed wistfully as he entered the Catacombs.

"Home sweet home." He said, wiping a tear from his eye. "So, Rayman, where is it that you want to go, again?" 

"Grimspire Keep." He replied. "Can you take us there?" 

Diego turned around. "I would seriously advise against going to the Keep. First of all, the Keep is the largest and most sporadic active volcano on this continent. Second of all, even if you managed to get near it, you'd most likely be struck dead by the poisonous gasses the volcano emits. And finally, the Keep is surrounded by an abysmal wasteland that no one has ever returned from. I know you have to rescue your friend, but that's just insanity!" 

Rayman sighed. "Diego, there's another reason I'm going to the Keep." He then proceeded to tell his friend about Janus and the kidnapping of Orchid. 

"So there you have it." He told Diego. "I don't just have to rescue her; I have to stop Janus from coming back into power."

Diego stared at him silently for a while. "Well, that's quite an interesting story." He said at last. "You do have the staff, and I saw it in action…"

"Diego, he's telling the truth." Simon said, cutting in. "I saw him do most of what he said with my own eyes."

"Alright, I'll believe you." The Phantom sighed. "Follow me; we're going to the Bog of Lost Souls."

Rayman felt a chill creep down his spine. "Bog of Lost Souls?"

Diego nodded; Rayman could see that he wasn't very comfortable about his decision. "It's the shortest, and most dangerous, way to the Keep. I don't think that either one of us wants to waste time, as unpleasant as the Bog is…" At that, he began walking forward in silence.

A while passed before Rayman decided to talk to his friend again. "How dangerous is the Bog?"

Diego turned towards Rayman. "A while ago, six of our explorers were sent into the Bog to see what was inside it and if it was suitable for colonization. After two weeks, one of them finally returned with one leg and eye missing, driven completely insane. It was a month before he could actually talk again, and even then he babbled madly about ghosts in the mist."

Rayman was shocked by this gruesome tale. "Well, we don't really have to go to the Bog if it's that dangerous. Are there any other tunnels that lead closer to the Keep?"

Diego shook his head. "None. The other tunnels would lead us to a two or three month walk, while the Bog can lead us there in about five days."

Rayman frowned. "I guess we have to go there, then. Where are we headed towards now?"

Diego didn't answer. Instead, he made a gesture to silence him as footsteps began to close in on their location. He then slunk off into a side tunnel, followed by the friends. From where he was hiding, Diego could see the outlines off two Phantoms walking through the corridor. 

"That was close." Diego said. "If they saw us, they'd have killed us on sight. You all have a bounty on your head," he said, pointing at the friends, "but you'd die anyway for the crime of being outsiders. And I have a bounty on my head as well…"

"We'd better stay away from them in that case." Rayman replied. "But how do we do that?"

"Do you see where we are?" Diego asked. "We're in a Crystal Mine right now; most Phantoms don't bother coming here, so we should be relatively safe."

Rayman turned his head and his eyes went wide with shock. The walls of the Mine were lined with crystals, larger than those inside the main Catacombs, which bathed the area in pale blue light. There were also a select few pink crystals in between the blue ones that added a rosy touch to the assembly of lights.

"It's… it's so…"

"Beautiful!" Ly finished. "How did anyone make a place like this?"

Diego shrugged. "Half natural, half man-made. Our people are very fond of crystals, so we use these mines to harvest them. At any rate, a lot of people don't go down here, so we can get some sleep."

Rayman yawned. "Good idea. I'm tired from all the walking we've been doing today."

"I'll be the lookout," Diego said, "so you can take a quick rest." At that, the rest of the friends began to yawn and lie down. Diego sat down and began to watch for any intruders, but his eyelids began to feel heavy. 

"I've got to stay awake…" He mumbled as the blue light became blurry. He finally yawned and surrendered himself to the slumber.

*******

The young Phantom looked over his shoulder before he began to walk again. He was remarkably pale for a Phantom, with strange blue eyes and a grim face. His brown hair was long and mottled, and the clothes he wore were covered in blood and sand. 

He grimaced at the thought of all had left behind. His home, his family, and his very life; he had lost them all. The only things he had left were the clothes on his back, a rusty old knife, his carefully concealed gold bracelet… and revenge.

His eyes grew cold as he thought of the man who took it all away from him. One day he would return… one day he would make him repent for what he had done. But his primary goal was survival. He sighed, thinking of what he had to do to last beneath the harsh desert sun, but he knew he had no choice. Shedding one single tear for his father and the life he had known, he walked into the sands that whipped towards him in the search for survival.

*******

Diego woke up sweating. "The same dream." He muttered. Suddenly, he saw a group of Phantoms surrounding him and the friends. Rayman, grabbed by two Phantoms, was struggling in their grasp, as were Simon and Ly. As Diego began to rise, he felt a knife by his throat. 

"Hello, stranger." A voice from behind him said. "Tell us who you are and why you are with outsiders or I'll use this knife." 

Diego said nothing in reply. Instead, he raised his right arm to show them the bracelet he wore. "If you are working for the General, take me and leave my friends. I'll come quietly."

The silence in the Mine was so palpable that it became unnerving. Suddenly, an old, graying Phantom stepped forward and knelt down before Diego.

"My lord, I knew you would return someday."

The rest of the Phantoms began to kneel before him as Rayman watched in shock. "The prince has returned!" 

Diego waved his arm to silence them. "Thank you for your reception, my friends. I must ask you one thing; is Tos'kio expecting anything?"

"No, my lord, he doesn't know if you are alive or dead." The old one replied. "What do you want us to do? We will die for you if you command it, my lord."

Diego smiled. "Hear me! Tomorrow I will march upon the city to face the General and make him pay for his crimes against our people! Who is with me?"

The air was full of cheering as the Phantoms vocalized their oaths of support. "Thank you." Diego smiled. "You may all rest now. It will be a long day tomorrow; you all need to be well rested."

As the Phantoms began to lie down, Rayman approached Diego. "Diego, if that's your real name, what's going on here?"

Diego sighed. "Rayman, I should have told you this sooner. Listen to me carefully; the story that you are about to hear is my own."


	7. Chapter 7: Diego's Past

AN: Well, I'm finally back from the video games I've been playing and I'm ready to write again! Okay… I don't own Rayman or the Rayman series, blah blah blah… And you know who I made up now, right? Well, let's get started.

Chapter 7: Diego's Past

Diego sat down on a slate of rock with almost every eye in the room on him. Rayman and his friends listened even more intently than anyone else as Diego told his strange tale. 

"My life wasn't always that of a fugitive, my friends." Diego told them. "I was born to Kai'ran, king of the Phantoms and ruler of their kingdoms above and below the Earth. He was an old man, but he ruled the kingdom well. Since my mother died when I was a boy of six, my father was the greatest influence in my life. He was a kind man and I loved him more than anyone else in the world.

"And then tragedy struck. One of my father's best friends, a man named Tos'kio, betrayed him. He staged a revolt against my father and had him executed before my very eyes. Everyone else with us were sold into slavery… except me. Tos'kio knew that I was a threat to him, but he knew that our people would look down on the slaughter of a boy of thirteen. Thus, he had me exiled into the desert for me to die of exposure to the elements.

"But he never counted on my ability to adapt and survive in the harsh desert. I managed to find enough food and water to survive and plan how I would avenge my father's death. And then they began to hunt me down.

"I suppose that it was only a matter of time before they would go looking for me, but not just because of my birthright. Before I was exiled, I managed to pick up a little ornament that Tos'kio could live without…" At that, Diego raised his right arm to show the bracelet to his friends.

"He wanted this bracelet that adorns my right arm! He needed this because of the laws set down by the ancients… to rule with absolute power, one must possess the Daggers and Bracelets that were forged by the first dynasty. He has both of the Crystal Daggers, but only one of the Bracelets, so he can only rule as a General. He needs me dead and this bracelet returned before he can establish his own dynasty. 

"And now he rules our kingdom like a spy state. Assassins specifically appointed by the General keep his enemies from breaking the silence, and soldiers patrol the Desert to take care of any outsiders; he doesn't want any outside contact or threat to his rule. And that is why I came down here; to settle the score with the General and help my people."

The friends sat in silence for a while. Finally, Rayman broke the silence with a question. "What does this have to do with us?" 

He sighed. "I was going to lead you all into our Capital so you could help me overthrow the tyrant. I'm sorry, I know I should have told you sooner, but I knew you were in a hurry."

"Diego," Rayman told his friend, "you could have told us anytime and we would have helped you. I know I'm in a hurry, but I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't help someone in need."

Diego gave a rare smile. "Thank, you Rayman. It's good to have a friend like you."

"Don't mention it!" Rayman replied. "Now let's go find the General!" 

"That won't be necessary." A voice echoed throughout the caves as a group of Phantoms walked into the room. At the head of the group stood a Phantom who was about a head above the others and held two daggers of pure crystal in his hands. He sneered at Diego and the friends.

"So you are back." He said, smiling evilly. "I had heard of your arrival a short while ago from one of your friends. You may be interested to know that you met one of my spies last night."

"Tos'kio…" Diego muttered. 

"Yes." The General replied. By this time, Phantoms had begun to flood the room, vastly outnumbering Diego's supporters. "You've been a thorn in my side for a long time, kid. Now you and your friends are all going to die. Except for him." Tos'kio pointed at Rayman to emphasize his statement. "I have a friend who wants to see this one alive. You'll wish you were dead by the time he was through with you!"

Quick as a flash, Rayman struck the General in the face with his staff and pointed it at his chest. Before the guards were able to react, Rayman's staff begant to glow. "One move and this one dies! Now back off!"

"Do as he says!" The General hissed. 

As the guards receded, Diego walked towards the prone figure of his enemy. "Let him rise, Rayman." Rayman removed his staff and Diego glared at the General. "I could kill you now, but I won't. Instead, I'll give you the chance you never gave my father. I challenge you to a duel, Tos'kio. Do you accept?"

The General glared hatefully at his foe. "I accept. You'll wish you had never been born, whelp!"

*******

The two Phantoms glared at each other as everyone else in the room turned to watch. The combatants unsheathed their daggers and began to walk towards each other. 

"Ready to fight?" Diego asked his enemy.

Tos'kio didn't say a word, lunging at Diego instead. The smaller Phantom dodged this charge and gave his foe a quick kick in the back. The larger Phantom grunted and fell to the ground at the force of this blow. 

"Get up." Diego spat, walking towards his enemy. Tos'kio, however, took the opportunity to grab Diego by the leg and toss him to the ground. The large Phantom reared up in triumph and stabbed at Diego with one of his daggers, but his nimbler adversary dodged and struck Tos'kio in the face.

By this time the two Phantoms were both panting from their exertions. Suddenly, Tos'kio threw a dagger at his foe. Diego tried to dodge it, but he wasn't fast enough. He grimaced in pain as the dagger buried itself into his side. Tos'kio ran over to his injured opponent and struck him in the face. Diego crumpled over and fell to the floor.

"It's been a good fight, kid, but now it's time for you go to your father." At that, Tos'kio howled in triumph and lunged at Diego. 

"Never!" Diego hissed painfully, rearing up his legs and kicking his enemy in the stomach. He then began to rise painfully from the ground. Before Tos'kio could rise, Diego was on him. The young Phantom knocked his enemy to the floor and raised his dagger into the air. 

"I've been waiting for this day my entire life." He said coldly. "Any last words?"

"Mercy, please!" The battered, bloody Phantom begged. "Please spare me!"

Looking into his enemy's frightened eyes, Diego saw something in them that reminded him of himself as a child. Reluctantly, he dropped his dagger to the floor. 

"Alright." He said. "I'll spare you. You two, escort this one to the desert, give him a bag of rations and set him loose. You, Tos'kio, are hereby exiled from our kingdom. Let's see how you like reaping what you have sewn." At that, two large Phantoms grabbed Tos'kio and escorted him out of the mine, after giving Diego the remaining Dagger and Bracelet.

*******

"Diego! Are you alright?" 

Diego looked at his friends' concerned faces before smiling slightly. "I'm okay, except for the pain in my side."

"I'll help with that." Ly said, extending her hands until a lum formed. She then placed it site of the wound, watching it instantly dissolve. Diego winced for a second, but then he watched in amazement as the wound closed up and the dagger fell from his side.

"How did you…"

"Ly's a fairy." Rayman explained. "She has extraordinary healing powers. I know from personal experience; she saved my life a few times!" 

"Well, miss, you have my gratitude." Diego smiled. "Now, I have to repay you all for the things you have done for me. Do you still want to go to Grimspire Keep?"

"Yes!" Simon, silent all this time, said. "I need to see if my daughter is alright, so I'll have to go to the Keep."

"Well then, I can help you all." Diego replied. "Barthus? Where are you?" 

The old Phantom from before hobbled up to Diego. "What is it, my liege?" 

"Barthus," Diego told him, "I can't stay here. I have to go help my friends, and… I want you to rule in my place." 

The old man stared at him in wonderment. "Me? But…"

"You were a good friend to both me and my father, Barthus. I need you to watch over my people for now. I order you to do it."

Barthus bowed before him. "I can't disobey you, sir. Come back to us soon."

"I will." He smiled. "Now then," he said, turning to the friends, "I'll show you where to go." At that, Diego walked through the mines for a little while, finally arriving at a rock wall. 

"This is where we need to go." He explained to the friends as he showed another dagger-shaped niche in the wall. He then put his dagger in the niche and turned it. Suddenly, the rock wall began to slide to the left as Diego removed his dagger, revealing a long, damp tunnel. 

"Here it is, friends. The tunnel to the Bog of Lost Souls."


	8. Chapter 8: The Bog of Lost Souls

AN: Here it is, Chapter 8 of my story! I hope you like it! Also, keep in mind that I own no characters here except Diego, Orchid, Orion and Janus.

Chapter 8: The Bog of Lost Souls

After several days, Orion had found what he was looking for. With Janus' magic shielding him from the Keep's poisonous gasses, he walked over to the base of the Volcano, examining everything he could.

"Grimspire Keep, the place I was born." Janus said from the amulet. "And soon it will be the location of my rebirth as well."

"But how do we get in, my lord?" Orion asked, having scoured the base of the Keep and found nothing. 

Janus did not reply. Instead, the amulet began to glow, shining a strange light on the Keep. Suddenly, part of the rock wall began to slowly slide away. After the dust had settled, an entrance stood out on the once completely sturdy Keep.

"Get in." Janus told Orchid. 

Orchid, who had become haggard and worn from her experiences, stared defiantly at her captors. "No."

"Get in." Janus hissed venomously. "If you don't cooperate I'll make you wish that you had…"

"No." She repeated.

Orion went over to the girl and flung her over his shoulder. Her voice, however, stopped the big hunter in his tracks. 

"Rayman is coming for me, Janus. He's coming and you can't stop him." 

The air was still for a while after this threat. Suddenly, a peal of mocking laughter broke the silence.

"You foolish girl." Janus' voice mocked. "He is probably dead by now, so you can stop your foolish hopes. And besides, if he is alive he won't be able to stop my rebirth." At that, Orchid fell silent as she was carried into Grimspire Keep. 

*******

What Rayman first saw of the Bog of Lost Souls sent a shiver down his spine. The Bog was a dark place that no sunlight was able to reach due to the thick canopy of trees. Large, gnarled cypress trees stood out defiantly in the brackish ooze that coated the floors of the Bog, and the occasional frog sat croaking and watching the friends with interest. Rayman swatted angrily at a mosquito before turning to his friends.

"Cheerful place." He muttered sarcastically. "So where do go from here, Diego?"

The Phantom frowned. "I'm not quite certain. We should go east to reach the Keep, but I don't know exactly where to go."

"Well, we'll just head due east then. Come on!" At that, Rayman walked forward until he came to the brackish water. "Ugh! This water doesn't look right."

Simon came over to where his friend stood and dropped a stick into the water. A strange burbling sound filled the air as the stick was buried under the water. "There's some kind of mud down there that acts a lot like quicksand. We have to find a way to get around that water." 

"You're right." Rayman frowned. "Well, let's just travel on the solid ground until we reach the end of the Bog." The rest of the friends agreed, following Rayman as he walked through the damp earth of the Bog. Suddenly, he stopped. 

"Does anyone else here something?" He asked.

"No. Why?" Diego replied.

"It's nothing, I guess." Rayman replied, frowning. "Well, let's move on."

They had walked a little further when Rayman stopped again. 

"I definitely heard something that time." He insisted. 

"Me too." Ly said. 

"But what could it…" Rayman didn't have time to finish his sentence. Before his very eyes, ghostly creatures began to emerge from the ground. Most of the ghosts looked like pale Phantoms, while others looked like other creatures. They all, however, had pale, dead eyes. Before the friends knew what was happening, the ghosts had them surrounded.

"Join us…" They hissed. "Join ussssssssss…" 

"Never!" Diego howled, charging through the ghosts. Suddenly, one of the wraiths reached out and touched Diego with one of its claws. The Phantom suddenly collapsed, shivering from the ghost's touch. 

"So cold…" He moaned. 

"Join us…" They hissed again, picking up the limp form of Diego. "Join ussssssssss…"

"Stay back!" Rayman yelled, brandishing his staff. "Stay back, all of you!" As the ghosts continued to advance, he yelled at them and began to store energy in his staff. Before the ghosts holding Diego could react, one of them was struck with a bolt of light. The spectral figure dissolved as the ghosts around him recoiled from the energy. 

"Wait a minute…" Rayman said, shooting a bolt of light near the ghosts, causing every specter nearby to scatter. "Light! They can't stand light!" 

At this news, Ly began to store up energy of her own, shooting bursts of energy at the ghosts with similar results. Simon had picked up some nearby tinder and, after some effort, set fire to it. Waving his makeshift torch, the old gypsy ran around, driving off every ghost he came near.

Suddenly, one of the wraiths had begun to drag Diego into the murky ooze. The ghost was instantly destroyed by one of Rayman's energy bolts. Using magic as he went to deter any ghosts, he grabbed Diego's limp form and pulled it out of the water. He then used his staff to produce a warming light on Diego. Finally, the Phantom began to stir. 

"Thank you." He said in between coughing. 

The tide had begun to turn towards the friends after this. The ghosts were finally driven away by the light that the friends used as weapons. Finally, they could all rest after their ordeals. 

"Are you alright, Diego?" Rayman asked. 

"I think so." The Phantom said hoarsely. "But when that thing touched me, I felt so cold. It felt like… like I was dying." He shivered after saying this. 

"Well, you'll pull through now." Rayman replied. "Well, now I know what happened to those explorers. Those ghosts must have gotten to them."

"Hee hee hee! They got to everyone except me!" At that, a grizzled old Phantom walked out of the gloom. He carried a gnarled walking stick in one hand and a lantern in the other. By the crazed look in the Phantom's eyes, Rayman could tell that he was insane.

"You were… you were one of the explorers?" Diego asked incredulously. "I thought they all died except one."

"Oh, not me! I'm still as alive as you are!" The old man cackled. "Oh, they came for me alright. But I was too smart for em! I had my lantern out, and they couldn't get too me! Whenever it goes out, I relight it. And I keep relightin' and relightin' and they don't bother me no more!" 

Rayman's brain suddenly formed an idea. "Excuse me, sir, but I have a question. Could you lead us to the Eastern edge of this Bog?"

"Hee hee!" He cackled. "Of course I can! I'll lead you out and away from them if you give me some food."

"It's a deal!" Rayman replied, shaking the Phantom's wrinkled hand. He then took out some food from his rations bag and placed it in his guide's hands.

"Food! Food!" He yelled joyously. "Now, if you want to leave the Bog, follow me!" 

    


	9. Chapter 9: The Boneyard

AN: And many of you never thought that I'd finish this… I'm back, with Chapter 9 of AoJ! Remember, Rayman and all related characters are owned by Ubi Soft, except for Janus, Orion, Orchid and Diego. Now, enjoy the story!

Chapter 9: The Boneyard

With the strange old man in front of them, Rayman and his friends trod along the dank swamp ground, their path illuminated by the lantern of their guide. Diego limped behind the rest, still exhausted from his encounter with the spirits. But after a few hours of walking, the old man suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Rayman asked his guide.

"Death fog up ahead." The old man said. "I'm not going any further. No, no!" At that, the half-crazed old Phantom scampered away from the friends as fast as his legs could carry him. 

Before anyone could ask what the "Death Fog" was, Rayman noticed a strange, green mist rolling over the air above them. Although he was safely away from the mist itself, the fumes still burned his lungs and made it hard for him to breathe. Coughing, he motioned for his friends to drop to the ground.

"I guess this is the Death Fog the old man was talking about." He gasped. "Does anyone know how we can get through here alive?"

"I do." Ly said, clasping her hands to her chest. As she began to mumble some incoherent words, a shimmering aura began to envelop the friends. 

"This," the fairy said, proud of her handiwork, "is a shield that can protect us against the toxic gasses that the Keep produces. Now we can go the rest of the way without worrying about asphyxiation." 

"Ly, I don't know what we would do without you." Rayman said, smiling. "Now, let's go!" 

At that, the friends began to trudge through the swamp again, with Rayman and Ly in front and Simon in the back supporting Diego. After a while, the friends began to notice a change in the scenery. They gradually passed up the damp ground and quicksand sludge of the bog, instead entering a charred, ashen area filled with lumps of magma. The sun was completely obscured by the poisonous gasses, leaving the area in darkness as the friends trudged along. Numerous bones lay scattered along the ground, perhaps native creatures killed by volcanic eruptions or adventurers unprepared for the poison fog.

"Well, it looks like we have a long trek ahead of us." Rayman said. "Diego, do you know where the Keep is from here?"

"I know the general location," the Phantom muttered, "but nothing more than that. Neither I or any other Phantoms have been this far into the continent before."

"I see." Rayman nodded gravely. "Well, we'll just keep on going forward. I'm sure we'll find the Keep soon enough if we keep up a good pace." 

At that, the friends kept on walking forward as usual, with Ly keeping up the barrier. Surprisingly, their journey was uneventful for a good while after they entered the boneyard. That's why the friends were unprepared when the dead began to rise.

*******

Grimspire Keep was quite a large volcano. Orion had dragged his prisoner up hundreds of flights of seemingly natural stairs while Janus told him a strange tale. 

"You see, Orion, there is a reason I have ordered you to come to this place. Long ago, during the beginning of life on this planet, the dreamer Polokus was plagued by a string of recurring nightmares. For days the god was in terrible agony, paralyzed with the pain of the evil welling up inside of him. Finally, he used every ounce of his will to expel the growing darkness from his soul, driving it into the world below. The energies in his nightmares all gathered together to form one being… myself. The spot of my creation was distorted by powerful dark energy, turning it into the very volcano you walk in right now.

"However, after years of ruling the world, I became overconfident. That was when the Rai' Muana decided to strike. It was a long battle, and we were both greatly injured. Finally, he managed to trap me in a cave, guarded by Jano the Ancient. 

"And now, after my second defeat by his hands, I return here for rebirth. For here alone can the dark energies from the Dreamer's nightmares rejuvenate my battered spirit, here alone can I regain my strength. And here will be the tombstone of the Rai' Muana and all of his friends. The fools will not live to regret defying me!"

As the Dark One finished speaking, Orion found himself at the end of the stairs. A large obsidian entranceway stood in front of him, leading into a platform in the center of the volcano. On instinct, Orion stepped into the chamber and took the amulet of Janus out of his garment. 

"We have arrived, my lord." He said, setting the amulet down gently. 

"Finally…" Janus hissed in delight. "Finally, I shall be complete again!"

*******

Rayman didn't know what was happening at first. The boneyard was completely empty one minute, but the moment he turned around he was greated with a horrifying sight. A large mass of skeletons was trudging towards the friends, their eyes burning with unnatural red flames. Some carried weapons made of bone, while others were simply armed with powerful claws and teeth. Rayman's heart began to beat rapidly as he realized that they were surrounded by overwhelming numbers of undead. 

"Rayman, what are we going to do?" Ly asked. "There are too many of them for us to fight at once, even with our powers combined."

"I know," Rayman said gravely, "but I don't intend to go down fighting them all. We're going to break through their lines. Ly, use your magic to help me against these undead. Simon and Diego, attack any skeletons that get close to us. As for myself…." At this, he raised his hardwood staff and yelled defiantly at the skeletal masses in front of them and charged into their ranks, scattering them with magical bursts. Ly also helped by firing magical bursts at the undead while keeping enough energy to support the barrier. Diego, wounded as he was, also jumped into the fray, reaping undead like a whirlwind and slicing at any who came near with his blades. Even Simon helped by hammering at their foes with his hands and feet.

Despite the valiance of their actions, however, the friends knew that they were hopelessly outnumbered. For every skeleton they destroyed, two seemed to sprout up in its place. In addition, Rayman, Simon and Diego suffered heavy wounds from the skeletons' retaliation, and Ly, in the middle of the warriors, was also struck by the skeletons. 

But when all hope was lost, Diego suddenly sighted a large peak over to their left. "Grimspire Keep!" He yelled as loud as he could. "The Keep is to the left of us!" 

Renewed by this information, the friends began to batter at the undead with fresh vigor. Rayman's eyes shone with a burning zeal. He had found his target at long last.

"You should have brought more undead, Janus," he yelled, "because it will take more than this to keep me from you! Onward!"

*******

"You have done well, Orion." Janus told his servant. "I shall be whole, and you shall have your revenge on the Rai' Muana."

"Yes, my lord." Orion said again.

"But tell me, Orion," Janus asked slyly, "how much would you be willing to give to see the Rai' Muana fall?"

"Everything!" The giant warrior roared. "I would give everything to see him suffer for what he did to me!"

"Since you would give everything," Janus said, sending waves of Dark Energy into Orion's soul, "you shall lose… everything!" 

Orion yelled as his body was wracked with pain. "Why, Janus?" He gasped. But the only answer the warrior received was mocking laughter as he slipped into darkness.


	10. Chapter 10: The Final Battle

Yes! My update is quite soon, eh? Anyway, here's Chapter 10, the battle between good and evil. Remember: I own no characters except Diego, Janus, Orion and Orchid. Now, here it is!

Chapter 10: The Final Battle

It seemed like so long since Rayman had left his home, and he had finally arrived at the object of his quest. Grimspire Keep, an immense mound of rock and hardened lava, stood before him defiantly, seeming to impale the sky itself. A black, poisonous fog rolled forth from the volcano's peak, enshrouding the sky above in darkness. 

It was an imposing sight, but Rayman and his friends knew that they didn't have time to waste staring at it. In the distance, skeleton warriors trudged through the ashen plains in their relentless pursuit of blood. Rayman suddenly turned toward the volcano in puzzlement. 

"Well, we're here." He said. "Now how do we get in?"

The friends broke up into a group, looking frantically for an entrance before the undead caught up to them. Suddenly, Simon let out a cry. 

"I've found something! Come quickly!" 

When the friends reached the gypsy, he frantically pointed out a slightly discolored segment of the wall. Giving the wall a quick eye, Rayman lifted his staff. 

"Stand back." He said to his friends. "I'll take care of it." At that, his staff began to glow, illuminating the wall with a bright light. When the light dimmed, an entrance to the Keep had appeared. The friends quickly rushed into the volcano without any hesitation, wincing as the door slammed closed.

Inside the Keep, Rayman found it hard to see in the darkness without any form of light other than a dim glow that probably came from the lava. He could vaguely see an unusually smooth stairwell and motioned for his friends to follow him as he ascended it. 

As he climbed the long stairwell, he began to wonder what had befallen Orchid. Had Janus killed her, or was she still alive and well? And what was the Evil One planning? 

Suddenly, Rayman snapped out of his thoughts. Ahead of him was an Obsidian doorway with a bright glow emanating from it. With a low pain in his gut, Rayman knew instinctively who was behind the door and turned around to face his friends.

"You have all been good friends to me, and I appreciate your support, but this next part is too dangerous." He told them. "Janus is probably planning something, and I don't want any of you to be hurt. I'm sorry, but you need to stay here."

"Wait a minute." Diego said after his friend had finished speaking. "You want us to stay here and let you face Janus all by yourself? I most certainly will not!" 

Rayman sighed, lifting his staff. "I admire your courage, but you can't go with me. I don't want to do this, but I'll stop you myself if I must. It's for your own good that you stay here."

Diego stood silently. "I understand." He said. "Come back in one piece."

"Thanks." Rayman smiled, approaching the door. "Open up, Janus! I know you're in here!" 

All was silent for a while. Suddenly, the door began to open slowly with a loud grating noise. "Enter."

Inside of the door was the very center of the volcano. A large platform stood suspended above the lava with Orchid huddled in a stupor in one corner. In the center, Orion stood with his back to the hero who had entered. Finally, Orion turned around and Rayman gave a gasp as he gazed into the evil gray eyes he saw.

"I have been waiting for you, Rai' Muana."

*******

Janus savored the look of shock on his enemy's face. "Yes, I can see your shock. You are amazed that I live and thrive in a body other than the one you remember. Well, this body was the only one I could find, and I'm sure that Orion won't be needing it." At this, he laughed cruelly.

"Janus," Rayman said angrily, "I don't care what body you're in, I will not let you defile the world with your presence any longer. This ends here and now!" 

Saying nothing, Janus pointed his hand at his adversary and watched in satisfaction as the energy emitted from his palm caused Rayman to write in pain. Janus was relentless in his barrage, sending bolt after bolt of energy after his foe. Suddenly, however, Rayman lifted his staff and used it to deflect his energy back at him. Janus yelled in surprise as his own energy knocked him to the ground.

Rising to his feet, Janus unsheathed his greatsword and charged at his enemy. Rayman used his sword to parry the blows Janus sent at him, but the Dark One slashed at his foe quickly and skillfully, the shock from Janus' sword slowly knocking him towards the lava. Rayman knew that he couldn't keep fighting like that for long, so he decided to try something risky. When Janus brought his sword down again, Rayman nimbly ducked around his legs and tripped him with his staff. Rayman then placed his staff at his opponent's back as he fell to the floor.

"Move and you die."

Janus didn't respond to that. Instead, his body began to shimmer like smoke and soon had disappeared completely. Before Rayman could react, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw the point of Janus' blade protruding through his chest and winced in pain. 

"Now you die, Rai' Muana." Janus hissed. 

Suddenly, the Dark One gasped in pain as two crystal daggers protruded through his back. As Janus fell to the ground, Rayman could see the grinning form of Diego across the room. 

"Aren't you glad that I followed you?" 

Rising slowly and painfully and still bleeding from his wound, Rayman tried to reciprocate his friend's grin. "Alright, I give up." He said feebly. "You come with me wherever I go from now on."

Diego was followed by Ly and Simon, both of whom congratulated Rayman on his victory and healed his wound. "Thank you, all of you." He told them. "But now I have something I must do alone." At that, he turned towards the amulet that lay on the floor and picked it up.

"Alright, Janus, tell me why I shouldn't just crush you now."

"Wait, please." A feeble voice from the amulet whispered. "I beg of you, don't destroy me." 

"Why not?" Rayman asked. "Would you have shown me the same mercy if the situation were reversed."

"I was only using Orion." The Evil One said frantically. "I was using his body as a shell to accomplish my goals. But you… you're different! You're far stronger than he could ever be! Think of the possibilities if we joined forces! We could rule this world together, rule it in a Golden Age never before deemed possible! We could bring light to a world enshrouded in evil! Don't you understand?"

Rayman paused as all of Janus' promises rang through his head and allowed his mind to be clouded with indecisiveness. That was all that Janus needed.

*******

By this point, Orchid had awakened from her stupor and looked around her. Upon seeing her father, she gave a cry of delight. 

"Father! Father, here I am!" 

"Orchid?" Simon said, barely controlling his tears of joy. "My little Orchid! You're alive! I missed you so much!"

The father and daughter tearfully embraced as Simon told his daughter all that had happened. 

"And he… he's okay?" Orchid asked apprehensively as her father finished his narrative. 

"Rayman is fine, child." Simon said, smiling. "Why don't you greet him yourself? I know you two would like to be alone right now."

Turning to see Rayman, Orchid ran towards him and cried his name. "Rayman! Thank you for all that you've done for me!"

To her surprise, Rayman stood with his back turned to her, not making a sound. 

"Rayman, are you alright?" She asked worriedly. 

"Yes, I'm alright." He replied in a voice that chilled her to her bones. Then he turned around, and Orchid screamed in horror. The creature that looked like Rayman laughed evilly as she stared into its dead gray eyes. 


	11. Chapter 11: The Death of Janus

AN: Finally, I'm finishing my story! It's been fun writing; I really don't know what to say here. Just… thank you all for reading my story. Seeing your reviews really brightens up my day.

Janus, in his new body, looked at the rest of his enemies with contempt before a cruel grin spread on his face. There were still enemies of his here, and they would all die by his hands. 

"Isn't it ironic," he asked them mockingly, "that although you came here to destroy me, you have only made me stronger? It will be so… satisfying to have you die by the hands of your friend…"

"You fiend!" Diego roared, lunging at Janus. "Get out of his body, now!" 

That was the reaction that Janus was hoping for. He quickly raised his hand, suspending his attacker in the air. "In a few minutes, the waves of darkness I have generated inside of your body will tear you apart from the inside. You should not have angered me."

The rest of the friends watched in horror as Diego was suspended in the air, writing in pain. Orchid had had enough. 

"Stop it!" She yelled. "Rayman, I don't know what he did to you, but fight it! Stop this now!" 

Janus didn't answer. Instead, he merely increased the flow of dark energy inside of the Phantom and smiled malevolently at his pain.

"I said STOP!" Running up to Janus, Orchid gave the evil creature a stinging slap. The Godking was stunned for a few seconds, seemingly unable to comprehend the girl's anger and audacity. Suddenly, he turned towards the girl in a rage.

"You… you…" He was unable to express his rage in words, so he struck the girl instead with his magical energy. He meant to only stun her, but the force of his blow sent her crumpling to the floor.

Suddenly, something stirred in Janus' host. He stared in horror at the fallen girl, unable to comprehend what he had done. 

__

No! Janus thought. _You belong to me! Don't… don't try to fight me! _

Janus' thoughts were then prematurely interrupted by a jarring blow that sent the pendant flying into the air. As Janus' spirit lay on the ground, it could vaguely see a tall, brown man standing over him. He had time for one final thought as the man lifted his boot.

Orion! No! 

*******

Consciousness began to return to Rayman's body as he slowly rose from the ground. He looked at Orion, who had his back turned and his head hung in shame. He didn't know what to say to the giant who had once been his enemy, so he just said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Thanks."

Orion merely nodded; no words needed to be said. Rayman then turned to Diego, who was lying on the ground. 

"Are you okay, friend?" He asked Diego. "I can't believe what I did to you…"

"Don't think anything of it." Diego said, grinning weakly. "You had no way to know what you were doing. Just help me up and we'll be even."

Rayman stooped over to help his friend up, grunting with exertion as his own strength had not fully returned to him. As he rose, Ly and Simon flocked at him, seeing that their friend was back. 

"Rayman! You're back! We were so worried…"

"I'm so glad to see you… I was worried that you had been overcome by Janus permanently."

"Don't worry; I'm fine." He said to his overjoyed friends. "How's Orchid?"

Simon's composure had suddenly turned grim as he moved out of the way. There Orchid lay in an unmoving, crumpled heap. 

"Orchid!" Rayman cried frantically as he channeled all of his available energy into her body. "Orchid, wake up!" 

"It's no use." Ly said sadly. "She was hit too hard. I think she's…"

"No! She's alive, I know it!" Rayman yelled fiercely as he began to channel his very life force into her. "I won't let you go, Orchid. I love you too much…"

Suddenly, she began to stir. "Rayman? Is that… is that you?" 

"Yes!" He said, embracing her. "You're going to be alright…"

The other friends smiled and moved away to give the two lovers some space. No one wanted to disturb the moment.

Just then, the volcano began to rumble. 

"What in the…" Diego muttered.

"It's an eruption!" Orion yelled. "Quick! You all need to leave!" 

"Orchid, can you…" Rayman asked nervously.

"Yes, I can move." She said as she began to rise painfully. 

"Orion, what about you?" Rayman asked.

"I'm not going." 

Rayman couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What? Why would you stay here?"

"My sins are too numerous." He said sadly. "I can never live with myself after all I've done. And besides, my wound would just slow you down."

"Nonsense!" Simon said suddenly. "I know you helped him kidnap my daughter, but I forgive you for what you've done. If you stay here… I stay as well."

"So do I." Diego added.

"And I." Rayman said. 

"Thank you." Orion said. "Now, we have to hurry! It could erupt at any second now!" 

At that, the friends ran down the stairs of the Keep, with Rayman staying behind to support Orion and Orchid. They barely made it out before the volcano erupted.

*******

The friends watched in silence as the Keep erupted, collapsing in upon itself. As the volcano collapsed into rubble, the poisonous smoke began to dissipate from the Badlands, as Janus' evil reign was finally ended. Finally, Diego spoke, breaking the silence.

"It has been wonderful knowing you, my friends." He said. "You have changed my life forever, and I will always remember you. I will stay here with my people, as it is my duty to them."

"I'm going to stay here too." Orion said. "I don't know where I'll go, but I'll figure that out."

"I understand." Rayman said. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Well, I may not see you for a while," Diego said, "but I will see you again. After all…" He winked slyly. "I don't want to miss seeing your children."

"Diego, Orion, it was good to know you both as well." Rayman said, trying to hide his blush from the Phantom's previous comment. "I think we should go now, as well, so we can get back home before too long."

The rest of the friends bid their goodbyes as well, and left at a brisk pace. Diego and watched until they were out of sight, and then he turned to the giant to his side.

"Orion, are you sure you don't want to go with them? I know that you feel terrible about what you've done, but it's all in the past. They'll accept you for what you are, not for what you've done." 

At that, the large man began to think before turning to his companion with a smile. As he dropped his weapons on the ground and set off in the direction where the friends had gone, Diego stood and watched him until he too faded out of view. Finally, he turned and walked away, knowing that, someday, they would all meet again.


End file.
